Time magazine named Pope Francis as its “Person of the Year,” for his work to change the perception of the Catholic Church, with proclamations on issues ranging from LGBT equality to gender equality to dedication serving the poor.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis made headlines after voicing an unprecedented view of tolerance toward lesbian and gay people. “If a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge,” he said in a statement.

The majority of American Catholics agree with Pope Francis. In fact, according to a Quinnipac University poll, 60 percent of American Catholics support marriage equality.

The magazine also tapped Edith Windsor, who, for many, personified the battle to overturn section 3 of the discrimination Defense of Marriage Act. This June, Windsor won her long fought case, Windsor v. the United States, after the U.S. Supreme Court found that a critical section of DOMA unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex couples.

Windsor married her long-time partner Thea Spyer in 2007, but because the federal government did not recognize their marriage as valid, she faced a $363,000 estate tax bill when Thea died—money she would not have needed to pay if they were not a same-sex couple.

HRC applauds Pope Francis and Edith Windsor for work this year advocating on behalf of fairness and justice for all.